Miombo Eco-region Programme

The Miombo woodland is a dominant vegetation type that covers 3.6 million square kilometers over ten countries of Southern Africa. The woodland is linked to the Zambezi River and its tributaries and provides crucial life support systems for over 65 million people. The Miombo Eco-region Programme was initiated in 1999 in Zimbabwe and has been running since early 2001. It is currently hosted by the Zimbabwe Country Office where the secretariat is based. Since its inception the programme has addressed different conservation issues that include: freshwater, forests, species, protected area networks and livelihoods and environmental education.

The programme is implemented in eight landscapes which cover an area of 1 137 000 square km. The landscapes include:

Upper Zambezi

Kavango Zambezi TFCA

Middle Zambezi and Luangwa Valleys

Lower Shire Valley

Zambezi Delta

Malawi-Zambia TFCA

Lake Malawi/Niassa/Nyasa

Bangweulu River Basin

Focal Area

The programme will focus its work on;

Ecological networks

Sustainable use of natural resources

Responsible fair trade and investment

Climate change adaptation and mitigation

Objectives

The objectives of the programme are;

To develop resilient ecological networks in the 8 landscapes by protecting and managing their biodiversity

To enhance good governance that promotes equitable access and sustainable use of natural resources

To optimize the sustainability of fair trade and investment for eco-system goods and services that benefit people and nature

To create greater resilience to cope with and minimize climate change impacts.